Category: Corona Virus

Correction: On July 30, the state said an automation error caused approximately 225 deaths to be incorrectly added to the overall death count; a subsequent quality check by Department of State Health Services epidemiologists revealed COVID-19 was not the direct cause of death in these cases. The numbers and charts in this story have been updated to account for this error and are current as of July 30.

Texas southernmost county, Cameron, is home to just 1.5% of the states population, but it accounts for nearly 5% of its known COVID-19 fatalities.

Cameron County where 89% of residents are Hispanic and nearly a third live below the poverty line stands out as just one stark example of widespread disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Across Texas and the nation, the novel coronavirus is deadlier for communities of color and low-income communities.

These disparities, and a wealth of other demographic information, became more apparent this week when new tallying methods at the state health agency revealed a more complete picture of who has died in Texas and where. Trends showing that Black and Hispanic individuals had been disproportionately hit by the virus were clear nationally and apparent in local snapshots, but until earlier this week, the Texas Department of State Health Services limited demographic data had clouded the picture of those disparities statewide.

Hispanic Texans make up about 40% of the states population, but they account for 49% of its known COVID-19 fatalities. Black Texans also appear slightly overrepresented in the fatality toll, representing 14% of fatalities but just 12% of the state population. Texas reported a total of 6,274 fatalities Thursday evening.

By contrast, white and Asian Texans died at lower rates relative to their share of the states population.

Sometimes called the great equalizer, the novel coronavirus has been anything but a deadly reality in a state like Texas, where the Hispanic population is expected to become the largest group in the state by mid-2021.

The disparities should not have been a surprise, said Jamboor Vishwanatha, director of the Texas Center for Health Disparities at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

What COVID did is essentially shined a bright light on existing disparities, Vishwanatha said, citing disparities in rates of preexisting conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular issues, as well as social factors like income inequality and access to health care. You would expect something like this to happen.

Research has found that higher-paid employees are more likely to have the option to work from home, and that Black and Hispanic employees are less likely to be able to work remotely. In Texas and across the country, front-line employees like janitors, grocery clerks and transit workers are more likely to be women and people of color, an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data revealed.

Thats forced low-income workers and people of color to risk their health at work, exposing them to the virus while others earn a paycheck from home.

Many of these folks, particularly early on, were exposed to the disease, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said Wednesday at an event put on by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas.

Benjamin said a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses like hypertension and heart disease is contributing to disparities.

Geography has also played a role. Many of Texas deadliest hot spots have emerged in communities of color: among immigrant workforces at the meatpacking plants in the Panhandle; in Houston, one of the countrys most diverse cities; and in the Rio Grande Valley, where the population is majority Hispanic.

In general, most deaths have been recorded where most Texans live in big cities like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and Austin. But some counties, like Cameron and Hidalgo in the Rio Grande Valley, are mourning an outsized number of people relative to their population. Both counties are about 90% Hispanic.

Even in bigger urban areas, some whiter, wealthier counties seem to be faring better than poorer counties with more diverse populations. Travis County has some 400,000 more residents than El Paso County but fewer deaths, according to state data. According to census data, Travis County is about half white and a third Hispanic, with a median household income around $76,000 annually; El Paso County is 83% Hispanic, with a median household income around $44,000 annually.

And the virus true death toll is almost certainly higher than reported; for experts, the question is by how much.

The state may be showing a particular undercount in Hidalgo, a majority-Hispanic county in the Rio Grande Valley that is being ravaged by COVID-19. County health officials, using local medical records, report 576 deaths; the state, now relying on death certificates, revised its tally for the county down from over 450 to 312. Local officials said the difference is caused by delays in the issuance of death certificates.

Meanwhile, Vishwanatha said, access to testing has been more limited in communities of color.

Pointing to local data from North Texas, Vishwanatha said there is a disparity between communities of color and white groups not only in chance of getting infected but also in chance of dying from the disease. The gulf is even wider for mortality rate than it is for infection rate.

We are currently facing a critical situation where some of our communities are really suffering. We need to do everything to overcome these disparities. But hopefully this COVID situation has brought out something that we should have been tackling all along how to overcome these chronic health disparities that our communities suffer, Vishwanatha said.

Disclosure: The UNT Health Science Center has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Coronavirus in Texas is deadlier for people of color - The Texas Tribune

One or two confirmed cases in a single classroom would require those classes to close for 14 days, with all students and staff members ordered to quarantine. The rest of the school would continue to operate, but if two or more people in different classrooms in the same school tested positive, the entire building would close for an investigation, and might not reopen for two weeks depending on the results.

In California, where schools in two-thirds of the state have been barred from reopening in person for now, state guidelines call for a school to close for at least 14 days if more than 5 percent of its students, faculty and staff test positive over a two-week period.

Updated July 27, 2020

Chicago, the nations third-largest school district, has proposed a hybrid system for reopening that would put students into 15-member pods that can be quarantined if one member tests positive. School buildings should close if the city averages more than 400 new cases a week or 200 cases a day, the plan states, with other worrying factors like low hospital capacity or a sudden spike in cases taken into account.

In Indiana, where the middle school student tested positive on Thursday in Greenfield, an Indianapolis suburb of 23,000 people, the virus began to spike in mid-June, and the caseload has remained relatively high. This week, Indianapolis opted to start the school year online.

The Greenfield-Central Community School Corporation, with eight schools and 4,400 students, gave families the option of in-person or remote learning. At Greenfield Central Junior High School, which the student with the positive test attends, about 15 percent of the 700 enrolled students opted for remote learning, said Mr. Olin, the superintendent.

It was overwhelming that our families wanted us to return, he said, adding that families needed to be responsible and not send students to school if they were displaying symptoms or awaiting test results. Students are also required to wear masks except when they are eating or for physical education outside, he said and as far as he knew, the student who tested positive was doing so.

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On the First Day of School, an Indiana Student Tests Positive for Coronavirus - The New York Times

The media will reportedly not be allowed to witness Donald Trumps formal renomination as the Republican partys choice for president at its national convention later this month.

Citing coronavirus-related health concerns, a convention spokesperson told the Associated Press that media members would be turned away in order to assure compliance with state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.

The announcement was highly unusual and would represent a historic departure from convention practices in modern times. An Arkansas newspaper, the Democrat Gazette, first reported the news. The Republican national committee, which organizes the convention, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Held once every four years, the national conventions represent occasions for party officials and operatives to come together to strategize, renew contacts, share excitement and ultimately formally nominate the partys candidate for president.

The official nomination is typically covered with a wall-to-wall media blitz including cheering crowds decked out in party swag and a live broadcast of the nominees acceptance speech. The exposure typically results in a bounce of a few points for the nominee in approval polls.

But this year the Republican party appears intent on repeating its nomination of Trump, whose dismal performance in handling the coronavirus pandemic has dragged his popularity to historic lows, with no cameras present, in subversion of the presidents own instinct for spectacle and obsession with TV ratings.

Given the health restrictions and limitations in place within the state of North Carolina, we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed [to] press Friday, August 21Monday, August 24, a convention spokeswoman told the AP.

We are happy to let you know if this changes, but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.

It was not clear how the convention could move forward in compliance with state guidelines, which have been a sticking point between Republicans and the states Democratic governor for months. North Carolina currently has set an official limit of 10 people for indoor gatherings and 25 people outdoors.

The Republican national party has announced that 336 officials will attend the convention.

Confronted with earlier expressions of concern by the state about the crowds, the Republican party abruptly announced the relocation of key convention activities to Florida, which has a strongly pro-Trump Republican governor.

But Trump had to call off the public components of the convention in Florida last month, citing spiking cases of the virus across the country.

The convention was once expected to bring 15,000 journalists to Charlotte, but the spread of coronavirus this spring upended those plans.

The seven-day average for confirmed new Covid-19 cases in North Carolina climbed steadily before breaking the 2,000 barrier last month. The state has recorded almost 2,000 deaths from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. Face masks are required in public in the state per executive order.

Privately, some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with traveling to Charlotte, citing the increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travellers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus.

The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention. Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited.

The Democrats have planned a mostly virtual convention to nominate Joe Biden to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 17-20 August.

North Carolinas Democratic governor Roy Cooper said last week that the state would welcome Trump if he decided to attend the convention.

Hes welcome to come, but nothing has changed about our resolved to keep health and safety first, Cooper said. Obviously we would have concerns about people coming in and about a large crowd, but well continue to keep health and safety number one in this process.

Trump indicated in an interview at the White House last month that he would travel to Charlotte to accept the nomination.

Well be doing a speech on Thursday the main speech, the primary speech, Trump told reporters. Charlotte, they will be doing the nominating on Monday. Thats a different period, a different thing happening, but theyll be doing nominations on Monday. I speak on Thursday.

Trump last month announced cancellation of three days of events set for Florida. I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right. Its just not right, Trump said at the White House. To have a big convention, its not the right time.

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Media to be banned from Republican convention due to coronavirus restrictions - The Guardian

Estimated infected people arriving in the first week

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Pod of 10

School of 100

School of 500

School of 1,000

Source: Lauren Ancel Meyers and Spencer Fox, the University of Texas at Austin; Michael Lachmann, Santa Fe Institute

Millions of families face an excruciating choice this fall: Should their children attend if local schools reopen their classrooms, and risk being exposed to the coronavirus? Or should they stay home and lose out on in-person instruction?

No single factor can settle such a fraught decision. But new estimates provide a rough gauge of the risk that students and educators could encounter at school in each county in the United States.

The estimates, from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, range from sobering to surprisingly reassuring, depending on the area and the size of the school.

Based on current infection rates, more than 80 percent of Americans live in a county where at least one infected person would be expected to show up to a school of 500 students and staff in the first week, if school started today.

In the highest-risk areas including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Nashville and Las Vegas at least five students or staff would be expected to show up infected with the virus at a school of 500 people.

The high numbers reflect the rapid spread of the virus in those areas, where more than 1 in 70 people are estimated to be currently infected.

At the same time, smaller, isolated groups of students face a much lower risk. Some schools are considering narrowing classes down to small pods, with students who mainly come in contact with their teacher and each other. While the chance of having an infected person at the school would stay the same, the risk of exposure within those pods would be much lower.

If they remain isolated from the rest of the school a tall order 10-person pods in every part of the country would be unlikely to include an infected person in that first week.

Note: Estimates show potential infected people arriving during the first week of instruction. A zero indicates a low probability that an infected person will show up in the school or pod during that week.

Education experts and disease researchers said information that reflects local conditions could be critical in shaping decisions by parents, teachers, administrators and political leaders.

Its meant to guide schools so they can anticipate when it might be safe, or easier, to open and bring kids in, said Lauren Ancel Meyers, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas at Austin who led the research team.

The projections are rough guidelines based on the estimated prevalence of the virus in each county, which is drawn from a New York Times database of cases, and estimates that five people may be infected for each known case. Those estimates reflect current levels of infection around the country and are likely to change, improving or worsening in individual communities over the next weeks and months.

The estimates assume that children are as likely to carry and transmit the virus as adults a large assumption, given the unknowns about children, said Spencer Fox, a member of the research team.

This is meant to be a rough guide, a first step, Dr. Fox said.

Some preliminary studies have suggested that children are infected less often, or that young ones do not transmit the disease as readily, which could reduce the risk, said Carl T. Bergstrom, a professor of biology at the University of Washington. But those questions remain unresolved, he said.

Still, the information really helps put things into context for parents, Dr. Bergstrom said. Anything that could help you do that both helps you make better decisions and offers a level of comfort and assurance.

Many districts will start the school year remotely. Those that do open buildings will hedge the risks by taking various measures, such as requiring masks and social distancing, holding classes outside when possible or bringing students to school on alternating schedules.

Plans announced by some of the nations largest school systems already show the range of choices in play. Districts in San Diego and Los Angeles, citing the risk of crowded classrooms, said they would operate online in the fall, as will the vast majority of schools in California under guidelines issued by the state. New York City, though, is planning a partial reopening, allowing classroom attendance one to three times a week.

But decisions on remote learning come with their own concerns, said Greg J. Duncan, an education professor at the University of California, Irvine. Studies have shown that younger children and those in lower-income districts do not learn as well online as they do in person. For lower-income children, that gap in learning can persist, he said.

Wealthy families, which have more resources and workarounds, will be far more risk-averse than others, Dr. Duncan said.

One infection is too many will likely be the refrain of wealthier families, he said. Any slight chance that their child is going to be infected is probably going to get them to jump to a decision more quickly than lower-income families.

Although the risk varies by school size, in the hardest-hit areas of the country, even small schools face significant risks.

In eight states, most people live in counties where even a school of only 100 people would probably see an infected person in the first week if school started today, the estimates say: Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee, Arizona and Georgia.

The list is even longer for schools of 500 people: The vast majority of people in 19 states, including California, Texas and Illinois, live in counties where at least one infected person would likely show up to school in the first week if in-person classes were held. Many of those areas have elected to hold classes online for now.

Many parents are consumed with the question of returning to school, and there is hunger for solid guidance, said Annette Campbell Anderson, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Safe and Healthy Schools.

They want to see the data to make them feel that they have a model that they can trust, Dr. Anderson said. And we need it. We need this kind of data.

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The Risk That Students Could Arrive at School With the Coronavirus - The New York Times

New York invested $750,000 in Rheonix, an Ithaca-based manufacturer, to build lab instruments and make reagent kits, which are now being used for thousands of tests daily. States should tap their local manufacturing companies to compensate for international shortages, and Congress should allocate funding for businesses that fill these needs.

Invest in innovative solutions. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved pooled testing, where multiple samples are run at once, increasing capacity and saving lab supplies. But for one national lab, the approved pool size is just four samples. In Wuhan, China, up to 10 specimens were pooled, allowing the city to increase its capacity to 1.5 million tests daily, up from 46,000 tests daily.

The federal government should direct research money so that labs can increase their pool size, while ensuring accuracy. With flu season on the way, Congress and federal agencies should also invest in developing widely available single tests that can detect multiple respiratory viruses, including the coronavirus and different types of influenza.

Congress should also invest in developing more tests that can give results in minutes and that can be administered at workplaces, not just labs. The F.D.A. has approved only a handful of these devices, and they are not widely available.

Fund all necessary testing. Currently, under federal rules, medically necessary testing is free for those with Covid-19 symptoms, as well as asymptomatic people who have been exposed to the virus.

But states should be able to conduct broad community screening 40 percent of infected people are asymptomatic to detect the virus and control its spread. For example, Congress should ensure testing is free for individuals who attend mass gatherings, regularly ride public transportation or interact with members of the public at work.

New York is proof that a real testing strategy can control Covid-19. But our future success depends on other states to do the same a virus anywhere is a virus everywhere.

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Andrew Cuomo: Coronavirus Tests Can Have Fast Results, Heres How - The New York Times

At-home testing could transform the fight against the novel coronavirus. USA TODAY

As Leon county surpasses 55,000 locally-administered COVID-19 tests, at least six Big Bend residents died because of the coronavirus over the weekend, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Leon County gained 105 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday, bringing its total to 4,387 positive tests. Among the new cases are two 4-year-old girls, a 6-year-old boy, an8-year-old boy and five teenagers between ages 13 and 19. The youngest of Leon's new cases is a boy listed as "zero" years old. The oldest is a 91-year-old woman.

In Gadsden County, a 77-year-old man and a 61-year-old manhave died because of COVID-19, the state health department reports. So far, Gadsden County has had 20 fatalities associated with the virus.

The free COVID-19 testing site at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the FAMU campus Tuesday, May 12, 2020, has a steady stream of patients, but plenty of space to keep them all socially distant.(Photo: Randi Atwood/Tallahassee Democrat)

An 80-year-old Franklin County woman also has died because of COVID-19. She is the second coronavirus-related fatality in Franklin County, according to the health department.

In Jackson County, a92-year-old woman and an 87-year-old man have died because of the novel virus. The health department verified the 87-year-old man's death on Saturday and confirmed the 92-year-old woman's death on Sunday.

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A 60-year-old woman in Wakulla County also has died because of the virus. She is the fourth Wakulla resident to die because of COVID-19, according to the state health department. The department confirmed her death Saturday.

The health department does not provide further details about the individuals, except that they were all Florida residents.

Jefferson Correctional Institution in Monticello had 99 more inmates test positive for COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

The facility now has 174 inmates and 38 staff members who have tested positive. On Sunday, 225 inmate tests were pending, according to the state corrections department.

Franklin Correctional Institution in Carrabelle has had 17 more inmates test positive for COVID-19, the state corrections department reports. The Franklin facility has 888 pending inmate tests, according to the department.

Gadsden Re-Entry Center in Havana had 15 more inmates test positive for COVID-19, according to the corrections department. In total, the facility has had 16inmates and seven staff members test positive so far. The facilityhas333 pending inmate tests, the corrections department reports.

Casey Chapter is the news editor of the FSView & Florida Flambeau. Reach her at CChapter@Tallahassee.com or follow her on Twitter @CaseyChapter.

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Coronavirus: 6 Big Bend deaths over the weekend; local prison cases on the rise - Tallahassee Democrat

Coronavirus Nomenclature

On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organizationannouncedan official name for the disease that is caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19. The virus itself has been designated SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

What is Coronavirus

According to the World Health Organization[i], Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

What is 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, formerly known as 2019-nCoV and now known as SARS-COV-2, is a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Its important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious, while other viruses are less so. Investigations are ongoing tobetterunderstandthetransmissibility,severity,andotherfeaturesassociated with the Novel Coronavirus, but person-to-person spread is occurring[i].

Know the Novel Coronavirus Symptoms

According to the CDC, patients with confirmed infections have reported mild to severe respiratory illnesses with symptoms including:

CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period ofMERSviruses.[iv]

How Coronavirus is Spread

The CDC states[iv] that the viruses is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person from:

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled in the lungs.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, but this not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (community spread) in some affectedgeographic areas. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with the Novel Coronavirus and investigations are ongoing.

How to help protect from the Coronavirus

The best way to protect yourself is avoid being exposed to the virus. The CDC always recommends[i] simple everyday preventative steps to help prevent the spread of respiratory virus, including:

Aswithall infectious diseases, good hygiene can play a role in controlling its spread. However, the most important publichealth recommendation isthat people report to the nearest health facility if they develop any symptoms indicative of Coronavirus. Call the office of your health care provider before you go and tell them about your travel and your symptoms. They will give you instructions on how to get care without exposing other people to your illness. Visit the CDC website to learn more on What To Do if You Are Sick.

Improper use of Disinfectants

Due to recent speculation and social media activity, RB (the makers of Lysol and Dettol) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route). As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in linewith usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information.

We have a responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts. For this and other myth-busting facts, please visit Covid-19facts.com.

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Understanding Coronavirus - Lysol

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

1998-2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) self-assessment tool - Mayo Clinic

Calaveras Public Health continues to work closely with healthcare providers, hospitals, and its partners to address novel coronavirus. The division is taking action to protect the public and keep the community informed.

If you have health-related questions or concerns, call your healthcare provider. For general questions about COVID-19 or information about community resources, please see the resources tab.

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Corona Virus (COVID-19)

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